[link] What Exactly is this Japanese Trend Known as “Kawaii” All About

A good genre specific read if you are looking to see what the boundaries of 'kawaii' is.

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Giant eyes, rounded shapes, and simplistic features are hallmarks of one of the cutest forms of art. It’s known as "kawaii", coming from the Japanese word for cute, and has been adopted into a subculture that can be found worldwide.

Scalable graphics lend themselves perfectly to the style being graphic and bold. Think of Hello Kitty, San-X, and other companies that create those adorable little memo pads or a billion other products to fill up your house. But what makes a piece of art kawaii? And how does the culture of kawaii play into the pieces of art you might create to fit within the genre?